ECNL GIRLS ANNOUNCES NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ECNL REGIONAL LEAGUE – OHIO VALLEY FOR 2020-21 SEASON

Elite Clubs National League – Regional Leagues are operated and managed by the ECNL to insure professionalism, standards, and exceptional experience

RICHMOND, VA (May 11, 2020) – The Elite Clubs National League Girls is excited to announce the addition of three new clubs to the ECNL Girls Regional League – Ohio Valley for the upcoming 2020-2021 season: Cleveland Force, Kings Hammer Soccer Club and Pacesetter Soccer Club.

“We are excited to welcome Cleveland Force, Kings Hammer and Pacesetter SC to the ECNL Regional League – Ohio Valley,” said ECNL Girls Commissioner Jen Winnagle. “The ECNL Regional League platform is an important expansion of the league, providing a true proving ground in competition and encouraging player development.”

Cleveland Force’s vision is to develop and challenge players from start to finish by being innovators in the evolution of soccer development in Northeast Ohio through: the integration of partner community clubs, affiliate club networks, and the premier club. “The Cleveland Force Soccer Club is excited to be joining the ECNL Regional League – Ohio Valley.” said Girls Program Director, Rob Miller. “We are committed as a club to finding the best competition platforms for our players and believe the ECNL Regional League will provide us with the right environment that is supported by respected league leadership and member clubs.”

Kings Hammer SC has a mission to positively impact the development of youth in the community by providing soccer and educational opportunities to young players of all ages and playing abilities and to create a lifelong passion for the sport of soccer. They play an active role in the leadership, development and personal growth of our players and staff by being an active member of our community through service, partnerships and programs. The ultimate goal as a club is to encourage, inspire and empower each player and coach to be able to reach the highest level possible within the game and their lives, while helping develop leaders and individuals who will inspire others to do the same. “We are extremely excited for the opportunity to join the Regional ECNL platform,” said Vince Gentile, Kings Hammer Director of Soccer Operations. “This partnership aligns with our core values and gives our players the best opportunity to reach their potential on and off the field. We want to thank everyone at ECNL for the opportunity and look forward to forging a successful, long term partnership.”

Pacesetter Soccer Club has proudly offered a grassroots soccer pathway to the Northwest Ohio youth soccer community since 1980. Fielding teams in each age group that compete at the state, regional and national levels, Pacesetter Soccer Club has developed into – and proudly identifies as – a 10-time Ohio North Club of the year that has won over 50+ Ohio North State Championships. “Pacesetter Soccer Club is absolutely ecstatic for the opportunity to be a part of the ECNL Regional League and its outstanding competition, programming and experience. We fully understand how much of an honor it is to compete at this level and highly value the unique development platform that the ECNL offers to our club and players, said Girls Director of Coaching, Kirk Brazeau.” The recent changes across the national soccer landscape further highlight how unique and extraordinary the ECNL is, and we can’t express enough how thankful we are to have our girls program be a part of what we know is the strongest and most well rounded competition in the country. The ECNL now becomes the apex of our club competitive structure and offerings for both our girls and boys programs, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer this opportunity and exposure for our club members and all players throughout the Northwest Ohio soccer community.”

Each year, top performing teams in ECNL Girls Regional Leagues earn the opportunity to compete in the Open Cup Division of the ECNL Playoffs at the U15, U16 and U17 ages, where they will match up against other Regional League winners, as well as teams from member clubs of the ECNL.

The following clubs will be participating in the ECNL Regional League – Ohio Valley in the 2020-21 season:

Cleveland Force

FC Pride

Indiana Fire Juniors

Kings Hammer

Ohio Elite SA

Ohio Premier

Pacesetter Soccer Club

Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Western New York Flash

Additional information on qualification and participating conferences for the 2020-21 Season will be released in the coming months.

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About Girls Elite Clubs National League Girls: The Elite Clubs National League Girls (ECNL Girls) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The ECNL Girls is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.